Wolves-Dallas game preview

Preview: This difficult stretch of schedule continues for the Timberwolves, who are coming off a 26-point loss to red-hot Cleveland. The Mavericks, who had a two-game winning streak broken by the Bucks in Milwaukee on Friday, are in fifth place in the Western Conference. This is the first meeting between the teams this season; the Wolves lost all three games to Dallas last season, by an average of 14.3 points.

Players to watch: Wolves F/G Andrew Wiggins is coming off a career-high 35 points on 12-for-19 shooting vs. Cleveland; it was his fifth 30-point game of the season. He ranks 19th in the league in scoring (20.6). F/G Shabazz Muhammad scored 22 against Cleveland and has had two 20-point games in his past three outings. Center Karl-Anthony Towns shot 11-for-14 on the way to 22 points Friday. Dallas F Dirk Nowitzki played in his 1,300th NBA game Friday, scoring 20 points vs. the Bucks. He has had 20 or more in three straight games. G Deron Williams is averaging 14.5 points and 5.6 assists.

Numbers: Dallas has won 25 of the past 33 games between the two teams. The Mavericks shot 44 three-pointers Friday (14-for-44), tied for second-most three-point attempts in a game in team history.

Injuries: Neither ream reports any injuries.